White Elephant: rules, gameplay and gift ideas
In a White Elephant exchange nothing is bought: you wrap something unused from your own home. That makes it the cheapest and often the funniest variation — provided everyone sticks to a few rules.
The rules
- Buy nothing. The gift comes from your own household. Buying something defeats the point.
- Usable, not broken. Unused is the idea, not rubbish. Anything damaged, dirty or half-finished stays home.
- Wrap it properly. Precisely because the contents are odd, the unwrapping is the fun part.
- Never at someone's expense. Jokes about appearance, background, weight or relationship status are off limits — especially at work.
- An easy way out. Anyone who does not want to keep their gift may pass it on or bin it, no justification needed.
Two ways to distribute the gifts
The simple version is a regular draw: everyone is assigned a person in advance and brings a gift for them. This works even when people are not all in the same room, and it guarantees everyone receives something.
The livelier version needs no draw at all: all parcels go in the middle and people take turns rolling a die. On a six you may take a parcel, until all are claimed; in the second round you may swap or steal from someone else until time runs out. This one needs a group sitting together — and a bit of time.
What works well
- Duplicate books, mugs or candle holders
- Unused conference and trade-show giveaways
- Kitchen gadgets that turned out to be pointless
- Odd decorations that never suited the flat
- Unopened cosmetics or care sets from old hampers
- Board games or puzzles that were never played
What to avoid
Leave out opened food, used toiletries, obvious e-waste and anything that becomes embarrassing when unwrapped. Alcohol is a poor choice at work too — you rarely know who would rather not receive it.
A good test: would the recipient be happy to open this parcel in front of everyone? If not, it stays home.
White Elephant at the office
Offices like this format because it costs nobody any money and therefore puts nobody on the spot. It is still worth stating the ground rules up front: no jokes aimed at people, nothing perishable, and taking part is voluntary.
If you invite the round by link, restricting it to your company's email domains keeps the invitation from wandering outside the team.
How it differs from classic Secret Santa
Classic Secret Santa means buying a gift within an agreed budget; White Elephant means giving away something you already own. The process is identical: form the group, draw, exchange on a shared date. To combine the two, simply set the budget to zero and say it is a White Elephant round.
FAQ
What exactly is a White Elephant exchange?
A Secret Santa variation where nothing is bought: everyone gives away an unused but usable item from their own home.
Does White Elephant need a draw?
Not necessarily. With a draw, each person brings a gift for someone specific; without one, all parcels go in the middle and are allocated by dice.
Can you buy something new?
No, that contradicts the idea. If you want to buy, run a classic Secret Santa with a small budget.
What does it cost?
Nothing beyond wrapping paper — that is the whole appeal.
Organise a White Elephant round
Create the group, set the budget to zero, share the invitation link — the draw runs automatically and each person only ever learns their own result.
Create a group 🎁